Chausseestrasse 43, Berlin, Germany

Self-cleaning facade for Libeskind building

Warped residential project in Berlin by Daniel Libeskind in design development

The latest residential building by Studio Daniel Libeskind is characteristic to the practice’s strong aesthetic. It is a bold, angular design with warped lines and an unusual silhouette, but there is more to this Berlin building than meets the eye.

Chausseestrasse 43 is clad geometric ceramic panels designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in partnership with Italian firm Casalgrande Padana. These stoneware tiles glisten in the daylight, creating an eye-catching façade for the building but the real beauty is in their ingrained technology.

These tiles are capable of air purification and are self-cleaning, helping the building retain its sheen and reducing maintenance for the property owners.

This 107,000 sq ft property in Berlin incorporates 73 one- to four-bedroom apartments, anchored to the ground by retail space and underground parking. Studio Daniel Libeskind has also included shared outdoor space in the plan.

Daniel Libeskind comments: “Even as my studio is often called upon to design skyscrapers these days, I continue to love to build homes, the basic unit of human life.”

Crowning the building is a light-drenched penthouse with private outdoor terracing which overlooks the German capital. Open-plan living space is accessed by a floating staircase and the sleeping areas are situated at the rear of the apartment, whose ceiling rises a generous height of 21ft.

Located on the former site of the Wulffersche Iron Factory and opposite the headquarters of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, Chausseestrasse 43 is due to be completed in 2015.